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Taxidermy


SuperGoose75
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Garrulus glandarius hibernicus - Irish Jay

 

I will relate the story of How I came to shoot this Bird.

 

Now i am approaching 40yrs old and have been brought up in the Countryside and have been involved in country sports most of my life having been lucky enough to have a father who Shot, fished, ferreted ect and also my mothers side were involved in country activities.

 

Like most people involved in shooting sports i have a fair knowledge of of our feathered friends. However the Jay is not a bird that was ever seen much around here.

This past number of years I have heard of sightings of these birds from some of my friends. I had only ever seen one before and that was a quick glimpse of one early one morning on my way to Work' a fair few yrs back.

 

Last September Whilst sitting in a hide Shooting crows over some Sowed winter barley' what i thought to be two magpies came flighting up the field. They passed me to my left and one was close enough for a shot and i fired and down he fluttered and landed not far from the hide. As soon as he landed the bird outstretched its wings whilst dying and I instantly saw i had just shot a Jay. I couldnt believe it' and carefully after examining put it safely in the Van with the intention of having it set up.

 

In Hindsight i can still see the two birds coming up the field with the jerky flight that would signify they where jays. But it never crossed my mind and it was a magpie i was shooting at' so it was a genuine mistake. Now unlike in the UK the Jay is a protected Bird here.

 

I found out some more about the Irish Jay and he is Different to the one Found in the UK in the sense he is generally smaller and darker in plumage.

The taxidermist phoned me one evening inquiring where i shot the bird and when i asked why.?He said that it was unusual as it had the Bluest Eyes he had ever seen on a jay. There is a Taxidermist collector nearby and he had a few Specimens of jays and there was some minor differences in them. The taxidermist had to order some special eyes from his supplier in Malta.

 

I know it may not be a major thing in the UK' Shooting a jay but for me it was pretty special.

 

Here is a link on endemics and a photo of my finished bird. i did want it with an Acorn in his Beak' but the Taxidermist said it didnt look great so I went with him.

 

http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/categories/articleitem.asp?item=795

 

20150804_171438_zpshfsj2xio.jpg

 

 

 

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